The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-06-03
THE NATIONAL DRILL

An Interesting Day on the Drill Ground at
Yashington-The Battalion Contest
Signal Triumph for the Louisville Lee
gion-The Individual DriII-Result of the
Rifle COntest-GreenbacIzs for the Win.
ners.
WASHINGTON, May 27.-The fourth day
of the National drill was ushered in to
fair but threatening weather. When at
ten O'Clock the indianapolis Light Infan-
try filed into the grounds fully eight
thousand people greeted them with ap
plause. The company was put through
the manual, which it performed in a very
creditable manner.
The Indianapolis boys were followed by
the Alexandria Light Infantry.
The Jackson Rifles came next, and were
well received.
The Molineaux Rifles, fof Brooklyn, N.
Y, followed, and went through the differ
ent military movements in a manner that
showed they were well up in the tactics.
1t was, however, reserved for the Bel
knap Rifles, of San Antonio, Tex, to cap
ture the hearts of the large audience.
This company went through the difficult
military movements with such precision
that each movement drew forth raptur-
Gus applause. In the manual of arms this
company appeared to come the nearest Of
any to the apparent perfection exhibited
by the Toledo Cadets yesterday.
The San Antonio rifles, next on the
programme, were well received, and
were followed by the Crack Lomaz
Rifles, of Mobile. The latter company
did very well indeed: and surely crowded
the Bellxnaps and Toledo boys pref
hard; but those who make military tao
tics study say that there appears to be
no doubt about the Ohioans still being in
the lead.
The Sheridan Rifles of New Hampshire
concluded the days company contests.
They went through the manual in good
shape, and their marching was creditable,
although not equal TO that of the Lomax
Rifles, who gave decidedly the best exhi-
bition of the day
The battalion competition then COM
menced, and for the first time in the
history of the militia of this country,
three crack battalions, the Fifth Ri ode
Island, the Louisville Legion and the
Washington Light Infantry were to con-
. test for supremacy. The Rhode Island
battalion, Colonel Moran, drilled first but
owing to the fact that their Colonel
had been absent from his com
mand for months, did not do themselves
justice, and will not get a prize. The
Louisville Legion, Majors Coen and Kelly
came next in superb uniforms, and in ter
minutes less than the schedule time, exc
cuted every movement of the programme
with a precision and skill that ELECTED
almost constant applause. Army officers
who inspected the Legion expressed them
selves as astonished at the perfect condi-
tion of the uniforms, guns and equip
ments of this command.
The Washington boys followed the
Legion, and presented a fine appearances
but at the start several costly errors or
the part of the officers seemed to show
that they were not quite up to the Ken
lucky men. Their loss of distances, anC
failure to support arms after ployments
soon told against them, and it looked a
the conclusion of the drill as though tn,
battaltons would rank: Legion first
Washin gton second, Rhode Island third.
After the drill Colonel Moran of tbs
Rhode Island battalion called at the head
quarters of the Legion and te ndered hi
congratulations to them, as, in hi:
opinion, the winners Of the first prize.
Then followed the Individual drill OF
fifty men, not more than two men from
any one company. This was an interest
ing exhibition of the manual of arms. Al
fast as a man was found in error he wa
dropped from the ranks. Finally, W hel
the competitors were reduced to three
men, Herman G. Staacke, Of the San
Antonio Rifles, was called to the front, tn
first prize man; and the two others
Charles 7. Conrad, of the Washington
Light Infantry, and James B. Wagner, o.
the Louisville Legion, continued the com
petition. Conrad was the next to be callet
to the front as the second prize man,
leaving Wagner the third prize.
The closing event of the day was an ex-
hibition drill by the Lomax Rifles and the
Toledo Cadets. Miss Mary G. Voss, the
sponsor of the Rifles, went on the field
and drilled the company in the manual
Vociferous cheering greeted the fair com
mander and her command as her orders
were given and executed, with celebrity
and precision.
The attendance was larger than on am
previous day, and last night every seat il
the spacious inclosure was occupied
while thousands of spectators throngeC
the open space in front of it to witness
the PyrOrama.
The rifle contests at the Arsenal range
were concluded yesterday. The score o.
the eight best shots was as follows: